Music City Madness: Bickley and Upside Guys

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>PICTURED: [player_tooltip player_id='3624569' first='Will' last='Bickley']</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Late April Prep Hoops hosted the annual Music City Madness. Four players shone brightly with this upside clear.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='3532926' first='Jacob' last='Armour']</strong> - Rise Above Basketball 15u/</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jacob showed that he is tough around the rim. All of the defenders he faced when Rise Above defeated NYBA 2029 were smaller, so he did not have to get up and over bigger dudes, but he did attack with purpose and without hesitation when he found himself down deep. A powerful 6-foot-3 forward and current eighth-grader Armour may attend Rossville Christian Academy for high school though that is not 100% just yet.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If you project out Armour's future, which is extremely fraught with uncertainty, then are looking at a power wing with some body control. Maybe the high end projection is Brandon Maclin, who worked his way into a DePaul scholarship to conclude his college career. A guy like Armour would have to develop in many, many areas to reach that level, but it is feasible.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='3628562' first='Jai' last='Dobbins']</strong> - Fayette-Ware - [program_tooltip program_id='3628293' first='Rise' last='Above Basketball Club'] 15u</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[program_tooltip program_id='3628293' first='Rise' last='Above Basketball Club'] features a team full of West Tenn guys and none are more clearly varsity hoopers in stature and agility than [player_tooltip player_id='3628562' first='Jai' last='Dobbins']. Together they dwarfed NYBA 2029 and also dominated in and around the paint. If they merely overpowered that opponent, then these reviews would be less glowing. More intriguingly Dobbins and Armour danced around a few small guards unveiling an uncommon agility that projects favorably into the future.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='3532922' first='Lucas' last='Ross'] </strong>- Christian Brothers - Rise Above Basketball 15u</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ross unveiled top-tier agility against NYBA 2029 Sunday at Music City Madness. His game was best in tight spaces. Look for him to play either guard position throughout his high school days. Finished with a left hand in traffic after a graceful slash.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='3624569' first='Will' last='Bickley'] </strong>- [program_tooltip program_id='2434055' first='STARS' last='Basketball Club'] Premier 16u</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Will and his STARS Premier 16u played up against the 17u division and won all four games over April's final weekend. Will was surprisingly powerful changing directions. Most redeemable was his intense help defense. Bickley invested more energy than his peers and rattled multiple attackers with his pressure.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Development Pieces</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='3532929' first='Mercer' last='Sills'] </strong>- Fayette Academy - Rise Above Basketball 15u</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mercer was extremely coachable versus NYBA 2029 Sunday midday. In fact, Mercer sought out guidance on his own while a teammate shot free throws. There is a maturity to him that plays well. Sills can get exposed if his team pressures full court. On-ball defense could be a concern against bigger guards. You can watch him play for Fayette Academy in 2026-2027. Very good outside shooter off of the catch. Thrived in the corners over the weekend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='3532928' first='Jamuel' last='Taylor'] Jr.</strong> - Rise Above Basketball 15u</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Taylor Jr. is a promising dual-sport athlete from West Tennessee. Taylor Jr. plays up with Rise Above 15u as he is a 2030 guard.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='3532924' first='Elijah' last='Hill'] </strong>- [program_tooltip program_id='3628293' first='Rise' last='Above Basketball Club'] 15u</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hill played the hardest defense of anyone in a [program_tooltip program_id='3628293' first='Rise' last='Above Basketball Club'] 15u blowout win over NYBA 2029 at Music City Madness. Hill pounced quickly, kind of closing like a spider with all of his limbs denying passing lanes as he closed. Hill projects as a high school point guard though he will do fine coupled with another lead guard. The quickness was average but again the effort from Elijah separated him from the pack.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->